Homegrown Meats Jerky - Good Ol' Traditional

Homegrown Meats is a brand owned by a partnership of ranchers and business associates based out of Palomar Mountain, CA. It's known for delivering cuts of certified grass-fed beef to Whole Foods Market locations throughout Southern California, and beyond.

This line of jerky is a recent addition to the brand, and was unveiled to the public at the recent Natural Products Expo West in Anaheim, CA last March. Marketed as 100% grassfed, pasture raised, no hormones, no antibiotics, and no animal by-products, it's said to be made from the same beef that Whole Foods Market sells in their meat case.

This jerky is currently available at Whole Foods Markets in Southern California, and soon to be available from Homegrown Meats' website.


Ingredients

Certified grassfed beef, gluten free soy sauce, brown sugar, worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, liquid smoke, fresh garlic, black pepper

Review

The first flavors I pick up on the tongue are a light smoke and a touch of sweet. The worcestershire comes in right away, along with the garlic. There's a light citrus component, but more tangy than fruity. The chewing brings on more of the worcestershire along with some soy sauce. The black pepper is lightly noticeable towards the end.

For being the brand's original variety, it packs a lot of flavor. As far as "Traditional" is concerned, it seems to go above and beyond. This tends to go stronger on garlic and citrus, meanwhile creating a lively character through the worcestershire. It's still quite savory however, just like most other "traditional" jerky varieties. But this seems to offer more bite through the garlic, lemon, and worcestershire.

Otherwise, the primary taste profile is that of a soy sauce and worcestershire blend, perhaps a little more defined on the worcestershire, then livened up with dashes of lemon, garlic, and smoke.

The meat consistency looks good. Mostly meat, but there are some noticeable streaks and spots of fat. This meat is also noticeably stringy, but tolerable. It's somewhat moist to the touch. Chewing starts out chewy, requiring some effort, but eventually softens up nicely. It then takes on a steak-like texture.

Verdict

This Traditional beef jery variety from Homegrown Meats manages to deliver a flavor that goes beyond "traditional" through a more lively chewing thanks to a boost from garlic, lemon, and worcestershire. Fans of classic, American jerky, however, will still find the savory and seasoned taste that they love. As far as the all-natural, grass-fed marketing claims, this jerky actually does have a clean, natural feel in the chewing. I don't get any of that mushy, pasty, or rubbery chewing. The steak-like chewing texture is also convincing. Aside from that, this jerky still lacks that "wow factor" I look for in a best-rated jerky. Otherwise, it's still a worthwhile jerky to try.

Rating: Good (4/5)